Alice Spring, Northern Territory, Australia!

Hello Everybody! Sorry it has taken me so long to put up these pictures! I figured I should finally get to it. I've already forgotten so much! This was such an amazing trip. I learned tons about Aboriginal culture and about the landscape. It was a much needed vacation and I simply LOVED it. I highly recommend this to everyone! Anyway, I decided to put up a few visuals and I make sure to put together a cohesive story for when I come home and share it all with you then!
Enjoy!

Here I am at "sunset" at Uluru. It was cloudy, so I didn't get to see the cool color changes that are supposed to happen. It was only sunny during the first day when I hiked through King's Canyon. Then it was cloudy and even sprinkled! (I know, my tour group slept outside on the ground in sleeping bags and we had to get up in the middle of the night to put up a tarp to get out of the rain!) I was roughin' it, but I loved it. I slept surprisingly well outside. Even with all of the snakes and bull ants and poisonous centipedes...

Here is just one part of Uluru. It is about 7km around, I think. It takes about 2.5 hours to do the base walk. It is not as smooth as the postcard pictures make it look. It actually has many grooves and holes...

Yes, this looks like a skull... There are many Aboriginal stories associated with ancestors and how the earth began that involve Uluru. Some of them are children's stories and others are adult stories. We are all considered children so we can hear and tell the children stories. Only people who have been deemed worthy by the Aboriginal elders are allowed to tell the adult stories. The story of the skull is an adult story, so our tour guide couldn't tell us what it was. I have many children stories that I will try to remember for when I come home.

Just another view of the magnificent rock. Those dark lines on it that look like water falls are actually a type of algae that grow on the rock.

This is the climbing path of Uluru. You can see how worn it is. It is very steep and there is a chain to help. You can't see the top from here, it goes much higher than that. Aboriginals don't like people climbing Uluru. It is an ancient path that only particular male elders to journey to. They do have it open to the public, but it is closed more often than it is open I think. It was closed the day I was there because of forecast rain.

These are some Aboriginal paintings on the base of Uluru. They think that this is just a place where children would practice. I did learn what some of the symbols mean so I can work out some of the stories on art work.

This is the view on the top of heart attack hill at the entrance to King's Canyon. I loved it here. Simply gorgeous.

King's Canyon

More cool formations in King's Canyon

Me, with my well invested fly net, at King's Canyon

Me again at King's Canyon

Me at the viewing platform of Kata Tjuta (the Olgas). We hiked inside, although I'm not allowed to post any pictures of the inside on the internet. It is a sacred traditional Aboriginal hunting ground and they only allow pictures for personal use. Many of the places around here are very sacred to them, but they don't always tell us why. In their culture, stories and information are told to those who earn it. They are very mysterious, which is part of who they are, I guess. I found it a little frustrating because I'm very inquisitive and I always want to know more. The mystery makes it a bit more special, though.

Me outside Kata Tjuta.

This is a Thorny Devil. Isn't he cute?!

Here is my tour group our of Alice Springs. I went with "The Rock Tour". The tour lasted for three days and two night. We slept outside on the ground and didn't shower for two days. Surprisingly, I quite like the desert. We strategically positioned ourself along the "Welcome to Alice Springs" sign to say "We come to lic rings". Apparently it is some sort of tradition.


P.S. I saw wild horses and camels! I'm working on getting good pictures from other people at the moment, mine turned out blurry. Also, I rode a domestic camel. It was fun.

Love,
Kelsey